Maybe it's just me, but there seem to be an awful lot of mergers going on. Telecommunications companies like SBC and AT&T, cell phone networks like Sprint and Nextel. Some of them I'm not sure how it's consider legal.

Does anyone get the impression that we are slowly moving towards one network? That cell phone service will eventually be under the telecommunications umbrella and we'll all function on a single network. So our mobile device will be able to connect to the Internet, perform desktop-like functions and so on within on network?

Even with all the mergers going on, I don't think it will ever become a monopoly problem. On the one hand, I doubt the consumers would stand for it. One of the few redeeming virtues of capitalism is that the competition keeps monopolies in check.

But more importantly, you can't build hotels on utilities. And without a hotel, can you really call it a Monopoly?

Not so much a monopoly as there are very clearly defined and strict laws against that, but a cartel seems more likely. At some point, it will be more beneficial and make more economical sense for the smaller companies to except buy-outs, or for companies with similar interest, like Cingular/AT&T, to merge.